Apparatus for shrinking packages around food products



May 15, 1956 A. J. SLINGERLAND APPARATUS FOR SHRINKING PACKAGES AROUND FOOD PRODUCTS Filed DSG. 10, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l zz/e'zzan' garland mn A. J. SLINGERLAND 2,745,419

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 DERDE l DEBUG.

| Gunn I Diana.

May 15, 1956 APPARATUS FOR SHRINKING PACKAGES AROUND FOOD PRODUCTS Filed Dec. 10. 1954 United States Patent APPARATUS FOR SHRINKING PACKAGES AROUND FOOD PRODUCTS Arthur J. Slingerland,-Chicago,h lll., assigor to Edward S. Schneider, Chicago, 111.

Application December 10, 19547, Serial No. 474,559 1 claim. (ci. 134-130) This invention relates to novel apparatus for treatment of poultry, iish, or other meat cuts and food products which are packaged in moisture and vapor resistant, transparent or substantially transparent, sealed, thin flexible bags or envelopes of shrinkable plastic nlm ma# terial, such asrshrinkable polyvinylidene chloride known as Saran or Cry-o-vac, shrinkable polyethylene, or like "film materials normally possessed of or provided with the with heated waterby dipping or `in a continuous manner by conveyor vapparatus,*tocause the bag to shrink and l to substantially conform Vto the contoursr of the contained foo'd, after which itmay be chilled forstorage or shipment.; v Y l p.

it is an object of the present,inventionfto'provide a novel and improved apparatus, ofthe conveyor or continuous type, whereby' the s hrinkable casings on the packaged food are brought into contact with heated liquid in a novel manner so that the shrinking operation may be effected in a more rapid and ecient mannerwith better coi ormity of the bag to the contours of the encased food product.

Fl`he objects of the invention are accomplished by a novel means and manner of bringing the encased food product into Contact with heated liquid such as water,

or a mixture of water and another liquid such as ethylene glycol when higher temperatures are required, for shrinking a particular plastic, without undesirable boiling of the liquid. For example, when the plastic casing is composed of Cry-o-vac, Water alone at a temperature of about 195 F. can be employed, and when the casing is cornposed of shrinkable polyethylene a mixture of water and ethylene glycol which can be heated to about 240 F. without boiling is employed.

Thus, in accordance with the present invention, the encased food product is passed on a conveyor through a chamber Where it is met with a substantially vertically descending cascade or thick concentrated solid wall of liquid heated to a temperature required for shrinking the particular plastic casing, extending transversely of and completely across the conveyor, under a drop or head of approximately one and one-hall:` to two feet. This not only insures effective contact with articles positioned on any` portion of the conveyor width, but further insures rapid and ecient heat transfer to the shrinkable bag as distinguished from less ethcient or less elective sprays,

inclined sheets or other turbulent streams of hot liquid. The concentrated vertical Wall of hot liquid further aids in obtaining desirable close conformity of the plastic bag to the contours of the encased food product by reason of the head under which it is dropped and the manner in which it is dropped giving a maximum velocity for the r-` Y ICC predetermined drop, to thus exert `a molding Ypressure or force on the plastic material in its heat softened condi- V tion, tothereby bring about a joint shrinking and pressure molding eiec't.

Other objects and advantages relate to details of construction and arrangement of parts, as will be apparent from a consideration ofthe Vfollowing specification and drawings, wherein: Fig. l is a diagrammatic longitudinal sectional elevation of the apparatus of the present invention.

Fig. V2 is a diagrammatic section on the line 2 2 of Fig.l. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic transverse section on the line 3--3 of Fig. l.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are employed in the apparatus.

Referring tothe drawings, the apparatus comprises va housingdened kby a bottom 1li, side walls 11 and 12, end walls'13 and 14, and an inclined top 15 leading to the exhaust 16, the whole being endwise secured to and V supported by the framework standards generally designated 17 and 13.' Theinterior'of the housingV is further provided with a longitudinally extending wall 19 defining therein a longitudinal chamber between the walls 12 and 19. Portions of the two end walls 13 and 14 are replaced at the ends of this chamber by means of the exible curtains 1,3' andV 14', secured at their upperv edgesy 'to components of the end walls 13 and 14 respectively, so as to permit entrance and exit of encased food products 2li carried on the'conveyor 21. v

exible, open-mesh,fat wire Vasshown in the "detail of .'Fig. 4, having secured to :the Aface thereof Va plurality of Y spaced, transversely extending metal slats 22. The belt is -foraminated and the slats spaced so as Vtopermit the treating liquid which is delivered to the packages on the conveyor to pass through to the reservoir below Vthe upper runof the belt. Theprovision of the at'slats 22 on the open mesh belt prevents the bags encasingvthe food products from becoming vruptured' 'andfurtl'ierf aids in maintaining-a pool of liquid on a depressed :portioiiot' the belt passing through the chamber, as will be described. The conveyor belt 21 is carried at one end by the sprocket wheels 23 carried by the horizontally adjustable bearing block 24 mounted on the standard 17, and at the opposed end by the sprocket wheels 25 on the standard 1S. The belt 21 is suitably driven through the motor 26, speed reducer 27 and belt 2S leading to sprocket wheel 25. Intermediate the sprocket Wheels the belt 21 is guided in its lower or return run around the rollers 29 and 30, and in its upper run around the rollers 31 and 32. In its passage through the treating chamber the belt 21 is further guided in a concave path or dip by means of the arcuate angle guides 33 and 34 which, aided by the spaced slats 22 on the belt, permit temporary arrestment of liquid delivered thereover and formation of a pool of limited depth to make certain that allportions of the shrinkable bags are contacted by the hot treating liquid,

the`degree of dip of the belt being limited, however, so as to prevent collection ofa pool of liquid of depth which might cause flotation of the packaged products'thereon.

The base of the housing provides a reservoir for liquid employed in the apparatus and is supplied by conduit 35,

detail views of the conveyorV employed `lfor maintaining the waterV orV other heatcarry ing .liquid at desiredtsubstantially constant temperature z 1 in the reservoir. v n Disposed between'the'housing wallsk l1 Vand 19 is a pumpicornprising .the cylindrical tube 41, thelower Aend v Y-owhichgisopenand',projectslbelow thevlevel of the liquid YYmaintained.'iftherreservoir regulated byloatx39. The Y upper endof tube 41'is closed and is provi'cled-withV a lateral Vopening communicating with one .end of'what is `.termedlhfefein the sluce box and generally designated as Y 42. vA rotatable shaftASiextendsaxially offtube 41, and y 7 Vits lower end is received in the bearing 44 supported by `the spider .45'.V The shaft 43 .is,driven by the motor 46, belt 47 and ,pulley 48, whereby to rotate the propeller 49 A.and to' c'ontinuouslypump` ,andrecirculate liquid' from ythe reservoir at the `base Vof the housing into VtheV sluice 1,borx 42.v l

Y The sluice box 42 is disposed adjacentthe top of the ,housing substantially rneichallyv vof Vthe Yend walls 13 and 14 and parallel thereto between andfendwiseclosed by bj/the rearside wall S0,V bottom 51, Ytop 52 and front .wall

Y 53, ,thewlatter terminating inathe forwardlyI and down-VY `warillyprojecting lipV 54 shortV of and spaced'fromfthe ,WPA-52; to provide aspillway forliquid contained Vin the i 'sluicelbo'x when Llilled by theV pump. The topv52 extends beyond/,the wall 53 and terminatesinanparcuateand then downward vertically extending deector lip 55., Y intermediatethe sluicefbox '42 'there are .further pro-V Y vided-theballes 56andr57 extending parallel to thewalls A5,(L2ind53 `and fully between theopposed closed ends.Vv Y [1 Asthe, heated liquid from the reservoir is lifted through tube 41, it is admitted to one end of the sluice box-through 'Y VVa communicating 4openingin Van .area lbetween Vthe rear wall v5,0 andsbafllev S76.'4v Thebales S6 and 57 Servei to distribute-,the water throughout the, length of the sluice box andgto reduce turbulence thereof before Yoverow- 1ing between -the,lips 53rand 55,-and vas a result, when the "purnp is operated, to substantially,` keep `the Vsluice box Y .,f11led;ga concentrated, vertically descending WallV of liquid,

of fronirabo'ut one, to twoinches thiclgand of considerablernass, 'isrdropped'fromthe sluice'box at a maximum velocitytfor thedrop onto the packaged productY inter-yY ,-ceptingithe-wallof:liquidpwhile moved on the conveyor 2.1.3'Inf1this manner ,maximum eciency of theheated liquid and Athe drop thereof Vis obtained to elject a rapid f Y .args/,filo Y wallsllZ and'1'9,andfcornmunicates through the :latter Y V`with pump tubeg41.- The 'sluice box is further'dened heatV transferfor shrinkingv the bagand molding'it to lgthecontours oftheenCaSedproduch 1 Although I have describedthe preferred yembodiment of Vmy invention, it willi-be understood that various changes may be madein ydetails'without departing from the spirit thereof. v I claim ln a device of theV cl'as's` described, a foraminoussubstantiallyV hrizontally extending endless'.conveyor belt including transversely extending spaedslats defining the K l conveying surfaceathereof, ,an enclosure comprisingside walls embracingfari intermediate', length'` ofth'e f upper A Vrun of said Vbelt,`neaii's'n sidwsidewwalls guiding the upper n run `of said beltfnaQconcave path-.initsp'assagethere? between, a hot liquid V:collectorand reservoir Ydisposed Y below the, upper ruiofsaidbeltjan overflow receptacle. Y

disposed between said side walls and above the upper belt run for continuously delivering thereto aV substan- `tially-solid vertically-descending VVVwall ofV liquidsaid re- ,ceptaclelcomprisingatop,bottom, -side and end `walls,

one wof Asaid sidewalls terminating inspaced Vrelation toY said E top wallV and forming an overow' opening .there- Q with, spaced lip means extending from said topl and spaced Ying o f,said receptacle.

Y 'U if References Citedin -Aoif-this patentVkvr Y UNITEDISTATES kPATENTS s {Dilg L.; 'Dec'. 12,

1,234,13l; Cleveland July 24, p 1,52977`0 Cavanaugh Mar: V17, 1925 l 1,760,979" A', Ferry-` flurieJ 1930 2,048,447 Hewitt yJuly' '21,n 193.6 2,194,565 Moss l 1940 i 2,298,779V Y 

